1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a lever fitting-type connector in which fitting of male and female connectors is easily performed by operating a lever.
2. Related Art
FIG. 7 shows a frame-coupling type connector 1 which is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese patent publication HEI 6-251826. The connector 1 includes: a female connector section 3 which is disposed on a connection box body 2 such as an electric connection box; male connectors 5 which are to be inserted and fitted into a hood portion 4 of the female connector section 3; and a frame 6 which causes the male connectors 5 to be inserted and fitted into the female connector section 3. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a plurality of electric wires 13 are connected to the male connectors 5, and drawn out from the rear end sides of the male connectors 5. Although FIG. 7 shows that the electric wires 13 are connected to only one of the male connectors 5, the electric wires 13 in an actual connector are connected to both the male connectors 5. The frame 6 consists of a body 7 in which the male connector 5 is rotatably accommodated, a rotation leg 8 which protrudes from one end of the body 7, and an operating projection 9 which projects from the other end. A sliding shaft 10 is formed at the tip end portion of the rotation leg 8. The sliding shaft 10 is inserted into and engagingly held to a slide groove 12 of a frame support 11 which is disposed in the periphery of the female connector section 3.
As shown in FIG. 8, the sliding shaft 10 is engagingly held in the slide groove 12, and the operating projection 9 is pressed so that the frame 6 is rotated in the direction of the arrow a about the sliding shaft 10, whereby the male connector 5 is inserted and fitted into the female connector section 3. When the male connector 5 is to be extracted from the state where it is fitted into the female connector section 3, the operating projection 9 is pressed in the reverse direction so that the frame 6 is rotated in the direction opposite to that of the arrow a, whereby the male connector 5 is extracted from the hood portion 4 of the female connector section 3.
In this case, the sliding shaft 10 functions as the fulcrum, and the operating projection 9 as the point of force, so that the supporting portion where the male connector 5 is rotatably supported on the frame 6 serves as the point of action, thereby enabling the male connector 5 to be fitted into the female connector section 3 with a small force. Therefore, the operating force to be exerted when the male connector 5 is fitted into the female connector section 3 can be reduced.
In the frame-coupling type connector 1, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the electric wires 13 are drawn out from the rear end sides of the male connectors 5, and the electric wires 13 drawn out from the male connectors 5 are not protected by any means. When a wire harness to which the male connectors 5 are attached is packed or transported, or when an operation of laying the electric wires is conducted, there is a fear that the electric wires 13 are damaged.